Vibe of Yolk: Hatching a small business in the face of pandemic
MANILA, Philippines — For years, husband and wife Jp and Jomai Arnaiz have always wanted to put up their own business. Jp was the Assistant Mall Manager of SM Baguio while Jomai was a wedding & events planner. This is where her interest in food trucks stemmed from.
They started asking city hall regarding permits and licensing back in 2018 but always ended up being looked at like mad scientists. Nobody believed in the concept which they found quite odd because they knew they’ve seen food trucks in the city before but just never stayed long.
Then in March 2020, COVID-19 happened. Pandemic lockdowns came about. Jomai had to leave for the States to take care of her terminally ill uncle who raised her. Jp, meanwhile, stayed in the Philippines and continued working. It all seemed like the business plans were again hopeless.
When Jomai’s uncle died, she went back home more driven than ever, despite events being at a standstill. Upon seeing her colleagues doing side jobs involving food, she decided to create a food truck for rent so that her colleagues could rent out trucks for a maximum of 2 months each; an ample time to earn while the pandemic was still going on.
Since they both realized the potential of this venture, as well as their shared love of helping others, off they went to city hall. When they pitched their business concept, they were requested instead to help with ambulant vendors.
The Arnaizes were excited. They presented the rental to the vendors. However, the park vendors couldn't grasp the concept of the food truck yet. And so, this was when Yolk was conceptualized. They needed a case study so that the vendors can also see the potential of the food truck business.
Being in events, Jomai had a knack for researching and getting a feel of what could work as well as what’s relatable and appealing to the market.
Noting the rise of K-Drama and everything else hallyu among more Filipinos, Jomai thought of the ‘egg drop’ concept from South Korea. Luckily enough, her brother Jonas was a graduate of culinary courses and the rest came together. The taste, look, feel and most importantly the vibe of Yolk was created.
From there it just was a roller coaster of blessings. They kept their promise to help the displaced ambulant park vendors and came up with an “Adopt- a- Vendor” scheme, where ambulant vendors can set up shop around the truck akin to a food hub/park.
With uniform properly donned and all safety protocols observed, Yolk also aims to promote our City Parks.
Yolk is proof that we all have what it takes to be resilient amid crisis.
